Leo

I sat calmly as I looked ahead at Ryoma, who was investigating my injuries.
"How experienced are you with swords?" He asked, as he placed his thumb on a cut near my eye. I squirmed slightly, feeling slight pain from the touch.

"Not very," I responded, looking at the blade on my side. "I only picked the sword up as it was required."

"I see." He pulled away and stood up. Scarlet soon entered the room and looked over at Ryoma.

"What do you think?" She asked him, and he looked back at me.

"I'd say we need to leave here. If we stay put, we'll put the lives of more people in danger."

"Where would we go, then?"

"Might I say something?" I interjected.

"Go on."

I was silent for a moment. "Kilma of the Ice Tribe told me that we should return when war is at its peak. What if we head to the Ice Tribe up north?"

Scarlet looked up for an extended period of time, before responding, "Obtaining the favor of the Ice Tribe could increase our favor within Nohr. We'll need more people if we'll want to take on the Nohrian armies."

As she stated this, I noticed Camilla walk into the room. I stood up, looking at her. "You said that Xander's doubts were corrected by Iago, how so?"

Camilla let out a long sigh, putting a hand to her chin, and another on her side. "I can't say, I only heard that from Iago himself. In fact, after Iago had requested for Xander to go with him, I hadn't seen him."

I bit my lip. "That makes things less reassuring." I muttered soon after, and I looked at them once again. Takumi walked in, and stood beside Ryoma.

"We have a plan?"

"Somewhat." Ryoma responded, "We're considering attempting to get the Ice Tribe up north on our side."

"Alright." Soon after that conversation, everyone else came into the room, and we very quickly discussed the plan and headed out, not wanting to leave Cheve in danger.

Xander

Iago paced around me, casting glares at me. He scowled and stood in front of me. "Why would you lie about destroying Cheve's resistance?"

I didn't respond. Well, it was more that I couldn't respond. My body felt restricted, my jaw tight, my body stiff. I stared back, having nothing else I could do.

"Your father is quite disappointed, I must say. With you being his oldest child, he'd expect you to be the most loyal."

Before he could say anything more, a soldier walked in, looking at Iago. "Sir, it seems the attack on the Resistance failed. Lady Camilla joined them, and Prince Leo has joined his forces with the resistance fighters."

Iago was silent. He stared ahead, before slamming his fist against my armor. I couldn't react, and Iago slowly removed his fist from my chestplate. I couldn't say his swing hurt, as he lacked the physical strength to do much damage. "Do we have any idea where they're headed?"

"Intelligence says they're possibly heading to the Ice Tribe in the Nohrian Northerns."

"I see. How about we send them to give the unwanted intruders a bit of hell?"

He then looked back at me. "Don't you worry, if all else fails, we'll send you to finish what you started." He smiled with a sinister glee, and walked away. "You're dismissed."

My body's stiffness ended, and I could finally move freely. I looked down at my hands, they were shaking slightly.

I was on my own.

Oboro

I couldn't say I was comfortable, with all these Nohrians around, especially that assassin with the blue hair. I can't say I'm comfortable around assassins in general, due to my experiences. She glanced at me, not reacting to my face scrunching up in bitter involuntary hatred.

"What do you want?"

She remained silent, and looked back ahead. "Why does your face always become like that when you meet the eyes of a Nohrian?"

I glanced away, not responding to her question as she looked back at me. "Do you hold that much prejudice for us?"

"No, that's not it." I respond to her, avoiding eye contact. "My interactions with Nohrians were never," I paused, "Pleasant."

"Never?" She looked at my garments, and soon spoke again. "Are you a sort of tailor?"

"I am." I responded, relief washing over me as the conversation shifted. "My parents were, too, before," I stopped, and she continued to look at me.

"Were they assassinated, just outside the border to Nohr?"

My eyes widened and my head turned back to her. "How did you know that?"

She just harrumphed and placed her hand onto her dragon's head, and the beast flew up into the air, with her climbing up onto it.

"W-wait! How did you know that?!" I shouted, but she didn't respond, and I only saw her become a small figure high in the sky.

Beruka

I wasn't quite sure how to feel then and there. I'm now fighting alongside someone who was killed by my own mentor. As I rose into the air I could feel a weight increase on me, one that I never felt. Guilt, was it? I shouldn't feel guilt. I'm an assassin.

"Beruka?"

I broke out of my trance and looked at who spoke to me. It was Lady Camilla.

"How may I help you, Lady Camilla?" I quietly ask, as she neared me.

"Are you alright? You seem a lot more distant than usual."

"I'm fine." I quickly respond, looking away. Soon I observed the ever weakening sun taking residence under the horizon. The sky blazed a few oranges and yellows, and Lady Camilla watched as well.

"If I'll be honest, Beruka," She looked at me, changing her topic. "That sunset is quite a divine sight, isn't it?"

"It is," I soon respond without much enthusiasm, to her dismay.

"Beruka, I want you to look closely at the horizon. Do you see the elegant merge of the colors, the colors fading into darkness? Do you see the trees merging into the sky?"

"I do, Lady Camill-"

"I wish for you to see things for more than they are. I know that's hard for you, being an assassin who's taken many lives before, but that shouldn't mean you can't see the forest for more than the trees."

I think I understood. I nodded, looking at her. "I believe I understand now."

Not that it made much of a difference, if anything it added more weight to my heart as I thought.

Soon enough we settled down for the night, to be ready for the next day.

I watched Lord Leo and prince Ryoma spar while I sharpened my axe. Leo swung his blade with a sense of purpose, and Ryoma would block his strikes with ease. I flinched slightly, feeling the brisk winds of the Northerns against my armor. I decided to look past the spar that went on, toward the darkening horizon. The snow-covered land glistened with the light from the sun, as the falling snow seemed to almost be suspended in the air. Bare trees dotted the horizon, and I was certain I could see wild animals traveling between the trees. I soon noticed in my thought filled observation that Oboro had came up beside me. Her face was solemn, and she sat down as I continued to sharpen my blade, avoiding eye contact with her.

"I have a question for you," she started, "how did you know that my parents were assassinated?"

I didn't respond, but soon stopped polishing, setting my axe down. "Since you clearly won't leave me alone, I'll entertain you. My mentor was the man who killed your parents."

She blinked, her mouth slowly opened. She closed it again as I looked at her. There was pain in her eyes, and she finally spoke. "Your mentor?"

"Yes. My mentor told me about the assassination as an example of how to execute a silent end."

"Where is he now?"

I remained silent and picked my spear up to polish as well. "Dead."

Her determination quickly faded, and disappointment soon settled in. "Oh."

"When an assassin retires from his trade, usually the one trained by them is sent off to kill them." I looked down. "Nothing is more dangerous than a veteran assassin. Now, if you'll excuse me." I stood up, pocketed the stone I used for polishing, and collected my weapons, heading away from her.

I went over to the fire ignited in the center of our grounds, and sat before it, attempting to warm up, though the chill I felt wasn't from the winds, it was from the discussion.

"My, aren't you on edge." I heard a voice speak, and I turned to see Niles take a seat beside me.

I didn't respond to him, and kept watching the fire.

"Not responding doesn't mean that I'm gonna go away." He speaks, and I interrupted him.

"And what if I am on edge?" I respond, glaring at him. "Aren't we enemies of Nohr now?"

"You know as well as I do that you aren't on edge for that reason."

I let out a slow sigh, and looked back at the flames. "I can't say that the sudden change in alliance doesn't jar me."

"I see. Your aloof attitude doesn't help, either."

I shot him a glare once again, but reluctantly admitted that he wasn't wrong.

"Honestly I recommend that you speak to them, especially if they're a Hoshidan. If this is effecting you so much, you can't just keep it to yourself."

Even though I had told her that my mentor was the one who killed her parents, I still did not feel relaxed. I thought about her despise, and it finally pieced together for me. I lowered my head, thinking more. She despises Nohrians for killing her parents. Her alarm for hearing that I killed the man who killed her parents, I can easily realize that she wanted to get vengeance. Vengeance I stole.

I soon stood up, walking away from the fire, placing my weapons on my back. Niles bade me farewell, and I ignored him, searching for Oboro.

I found her in a tent, seated on the ground facing away from the flap. I drew my lance, and looked over her, my heart was racing, and I felt stressed. Before I could think, my grip loosened and dropped the lance on the floor.

Oboro turned, alarmed by the clattering. "By the gods! Wh-what do you want?"

I struggled to look her in the eyes. I soon formed the words and spoke. "I killed the man you were seeking out. I thought for some time, and," My voice shook. I couldn't understand the weakness I felt. For the first time I felt on the edge of tears. I picked the lance up, reaching it out to her.

"I believe you should end me here, to sate your desire for vengeance."

She seemed aghast, eyes wide and mouth open. She grabbed the lance from me, and stood up. I closed my eyes and lowered my head. I felt the weapon placed back in my hand.

"No, you had to do what you had to. Killing you would make me even more guilty."

It was my turn to express surprise, and she continued. "There's no reason for me to kill an ally."

I swallowed slightly, and nodded back. She grabbed my other hand and lead me to sit down, and she went to rummage through her belongings.

"Here, how about we just take some time to drink some tea and relax a little?"

In truth I had never had tea before, but the offer felt reassuring, and I agreed. She headed out to heat the kettle up that she had brought with on the fire. After that we spent most of the rest of the night quietly discussing things and drinking tea, which I soon learned I enjoyed.